CLUB ROUNDUP: Void looks to repeat as best in nation

Its playing field contains end zones, and points are tallied as goals. Pressure defenses like those used in basketball try to force turnovers. However, ultimate frisbee, according to its devotees, is truly unlike any other sport. Though many sports share some trait with this game, none can match the unique nature. The object is simple. Pass the disk up the 70-yard field into a teammate's hands in one of the 25-yard end zones. The execution of this task is not as easy. Skill, strategy and experience are necessary elements of a successful team. Here at Penn, the Ultimate frisbee club combines these facets and produces a winner. After an exhilarating trip last spring to the collegiate national championships in Louisiana, the Void is competing this fall with regional clubs, collegiates and others, in hopes of reaching the club championship. So far, weekend trips across the state and the region to multiple-team tournaments have proved fruitful, most recently producing a first-place finish in the Void's own tournament last weekend in Fairmount Park. But the real test will come once the Pennsylvania-New Jersey sectional tournament begins. A top finish will ensure an appearance in the Mid-Atlantic regional tournament, which is a stepping stone to the national club championship in November. "Our games can get very competitive at times," co-captain Mitch Sally said. Most of the 40 players on the roster regularly attend practice at Murphy Field and devote much effort toward their goal. Hard work is integral to success. Most of the better ultimate players, however, never had played the sport prior to college. Since a number of Ultimate players are relatively new, experience is as vital an attribute as raw athletic skill. "Many of the younger players have the necessary athletic ability, but they just need to gain more experience," Sally said. The current season continues at Rutgers and Penn State before the tournament season begins and the team strives to recapture their previous success. · The men's rugby club currently owns a 1-2 record, and is hoping to reverse its fortunes and better last year's sixth-place Ivy League finish. In this young season, losses to Bucknell and Drexel were tempered by a victory over Millersville. The club travels to Temple this weekend. Matches will continue every Saturday until November, either at Murphy Field or local opponents. Play resumes in the spring with the eagerly anticipated Ivy League tournament, where the Quakers will be trying to dethrone defending champion Harvard. This curious sport, which resembles a Buddy Ryan-coached offense -- football without forward passing -- has attracted some interest on campus and the current 40-man team is looked to with hope. "We've put a decent squad together, and although we still need some work, I'm optimistic about our chances for the rest of our season," said team member Max Barry.